BJC General Science study guide
BJC General Science · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The BJC General Science examination is a junior secondary school leaving qualification in The Bahamas, typically taken by students near the end of the lower secondary cycle. It certifies a broad foundation in science rather than specialised knowledge, and it serves students who intend to continue to senior secondary science, those moving into technical or vocational pathways, and school leavers who need a recognised science credential. The BJC General Science study guide has 12 sections and about 3,874 words.
01Scientific Method and Laboratory Skills
Science is a structured way of asking questions. A typical investigation moves from observation to a question , then to a hypothesis - a testable, falsifiable prediction, not a guess.
387 words, about 2 min02Measurement, Units, and Density
All scientific measurement uses the International System (SI). Learn the base units: metre (length), kilogram (mass), second (time), ampere (current), kelvin (temperature), mole (amount of substance), and candela (luminous intensity).
323 words, about 2 min03Matter, Mixtures, and Separation Techniques
Matter is anything with mass and volume. Pure substances are elements (one kind of atom) or compounds (two or more elements chemically bonded in fixed proportions).
319 words, about 2 min04Cells, Nutrition, and Transport in Living Things
All living things are made of cells. Plant and animal cells share a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus; plant cells also have a cellulose cell wall, chloroplasts, and a large permanent vacuole.
322 words, about 2 min05Human Body Systems and Health
Examinable systems include digestion, circulation, respiration, excretion, nervous control, and the skeleton and muscles. Each system has organs with specialised structures that suit their function.
314 words, about 2 min06Reproduction, Genetics, and Variation
Asexual reproduction produces genetically identical offspring from one parent (e.g. binary fission, runners, tubers, cuttings).
312 words, about 2 min07Ecology, Environment, and Conservation
Ecology studies the relationships between organisms and their environment. An organism lives in a habitat; a population is all individuals of one species in an area; a community is all populations; an ecosystem includes the community plus the physical environment.
313 words, about 2 min08Forces, Motion, and Energy
A force is a push or pull measured in newtons. Contact forces include friction, air resistance, tension, and normal reaction; non-contact forces include gravity, magnetism, and electrostatic force.
328 words, about 2 min09Electricity, Magnetism, and Waves
Electric current is the flow of charge, measured in amperes (A); potential difference (voltage) is energy per unit charge, in volts (V); resistance opposes current, in ohms (Ω). In a series circuit, current is the same everywhere and voltage is shared; in parallel, voltage is the same across branches and current splits.
328 words, about 2 min10Earth and Space Science
Earth has a solid inner core, liquid outer core, mantle, and thin crust. The crust and upper mantle form tectonic plates that move on the mantle, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building at plate boundaries.
306 words, about 2 min11Chemical Reactions, Acids, and Bases
A chemical reaction produces new substances with different properties from the reactants. Signs include gas production, colour change, temperature change, light, and precipitate formation.
307 words, about 2 min12Science, Technology, and Society
Science does not happen in isolation; it interacts with technology, society, economics, and ethics. Technology applies scientific knowledge to solve problems (vaccines, water treatment, renewable energy, mobile phones).
315 words, about 2 min